In the world of media and marketing, there’s a buzzword that’s gaining a lot of traction: transmedia storytelling. But, what exactly is it and why should you care? Read on to learn what transmedia storytelling is, why indie filmmakers should incorporate it into their projects, and how it can help build audiences for your film or show.
What’s Transmedia Storytelling?
The word transmedia combines the phrases trans and media. Trans, means “to the other side of or across” (according to Merriam-Webster). When together transmedia means “across media.” Therefore, Transmedia storytelling is the practice of telling a story across media platforms. For instance, the first half of a screenplay may begin as a web series or TV show, and the finale concludes with a 2-hour movie. However, it’s important not to confuse transmedia with cross-media. While transmedia tells a story across media, cross-media repurposes that story into different mediums. A book adapted into a movie is an example of a cross-media property because they both tell the same story (of course, I’m assuming the film is a direct adaptation of the book). They’re not transmedia because the story doesn’t continue in other forms of media.
Transmedia can also be used to give audiences unique experiences from a film or show’s characters, world, or other tangible items in a story. This method is a part of a marketing strategy where content is created to build awareness of a project, grow a fanbase, or generate sales.
Give me an example of transmedia in pop-culture.
The best example of a transmedia entertainment property was 2003’s Enter the Matrix videogame, (released for PC, Gamecube, Playstation 2, and Xbox). The game featured a storyline that ran concurrent to The Matrix Reloaded film (the sequel to The Matrix). The film’s directors, the Wachowskis, wrote a continuing story arch that started in the movie and continued in the videogame. They even filmed exclusive live-action scenes with Matrix Reloaded stars, Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobe) and Anthony Wong (Ghost). This media strategy was an ingenious idea because it gave fans the incentive to purchase the game if they wanted to understand where the characters disappeared to in the movie
Why should I incorporate transmedia into my projects?
One of the many benefits of transmedia storytelling is how it pushes your project’s creative boundaries and gives fans more story content. It’s a powerful tool for expanding your film’s world, developing characters, and deepening your relationship with fans. While transmedia can be a great storytelling tool, it shines when it’s a part of a film’s marketing strategy. Taking the time to create additional transmedia content for a project, before its release can build awareness, bring together a fanbase, and potentially boost sales once the film releases. This is an invaluable tool for independent filmmakers that need to think outside the box to generate sales with little to no budget.
In, 2011, HBO demonstrated this fact beautifully with a marketing campaign for their landmark show, Game of Thrones. They launched a campaign that introduced fans to the world of GOT with games, dedicated websites, puzzles, social media sites, and real-world experiences such as events and products (click here to learn more about that campaign). The result was a staggering 2.2 million viewers watching the show and building a legion of new fans that discovered the books for the first time as well. Every tool that HBO’s marketing team used moved the story forward and brought back a dedicated audience.
I’m excited! What do I do now?
Step 1 – Start planning!
Photo credit: lukasbieri/Pixabay
The best time to consider transmedia storytelling or marketing, in general, is in the development or pre-production phase of film production. Mapping out a transmedia strategy early on will give you plenty of time to develop the additional content needed to ensure the plan is effective. Waiting until your film (or show) has completed post-production won’t give you enough time to develop websites, social sites, still photography, graphics, or multimedia like AR/VR experiences, etc.
I’m not saying it can’t be done (with the right marketing budget anything’s possible), but you’ll be less stressed if all of those elements come together before the marketing and distribution phase of filmmaking.
Step 2 – Develop a creative strategy!
Consider how you can expand your project’s world or continue the story of your characters using multimedia. For instance, if you’re producing a drama TV show, are any of your characters millennials? Perhaps you can launch an Instagram or Snapchat account for them and interact with fans. Or, maybe you have a character that is a chef. You could hire an actress, host a series of cooking classes, and have the actress interact with guests as the character in your project (think dinner theatre). What about expanding the world that your characters live in with an app or website that gives people a virtual tour of their town with an animated tour guide? The possibilities are endless! However you decide to continue your project’s story, make sure the medium fits your characters and the story’s world.
As you form your strategy, don’t forget to develop a realistic budget. As a resourceful filmmaker you may already have a budget for production, but don’t forget to set aside something for marketing! Getting the film made is only half the battle, the other half is getting people to see it so plan and save yourself a headache.
Step 3 – Execute, execute, execute!
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Once you’ve planned and developed a strategy, it’s time to make it happen! Use project management apps like Trello to stay on top of the various elements of your transmedia story or campaign. If you’re going to post to different social media accounts, apps like Hootsuite or Sprout can help you schedule and maintain multiple accounts at the same time. Consider developing a content calendar, so you know what to post and when. Using a calendar will also help you stay organized and keep you from duplicating content. If you have the budget for it, hire some help! A knowledgeable digital media manager can help you stay stress-free, keep you on task, and help you accomplish more of your goals. The manager should be able to directly link your content strategy to the right KPIs (key performance indicators) to ensure your campaign is reaching its full potential.
Transmedia storytelling and marketing are powerful tools for indie filmmakers (producers and studios as well!). When done right it can help expand the world of your film or series, build a dedicated audience, and potentially generate revenue as well. It can be a bit daunting, but, with a solid strategy, patience, and creativity the rewards can be astounding!
If you’d like another example of transmedia storytelling, check out the project below. It was an assignment I completed for my gaming and transmedia storytelling class at Full Sail University. It’s a new take on Little Red Riding Hood. I developed a short story, social site, website, videos, and audio files to help bring the world to life. It’s kind of cheeky, but it’s a good example of what you can do with transmedia storytelling. Ready to jump into the world of transmedia storytelling? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Why Transmedia Storytelling is a Powerful Marketing Strategy for Indie Filmmaking Success! appeared first on RodKirby.com.